"A unique Being, an extraordinary Man arises
in this world for the benefit of the many, for the happiness of the many,
out of compassion for the world, for the good, benefit, and happiness of
gods and men. Who is this Unique Being? It is the Tathagata, the Exalted,
Fully Enlightened One."- Anguttara Nikaya PT. 1, XII P.22.

Birth

On the full moon day of May, in the
year 623 B.C., a noble prince destined to be the greatest religious teacher
of the world was born in the Lumbini Park at Kapilavatthu,
on the Indian borders of present Nepal,

His father was King Suddhodana of the aristocratic
Sakya clan and his mother was Queen Maha Maya. The beloved
queen died seven days after his birth. Her younger sister, Maha Pajapati
Gotami, who was also married to the King, adopted the child while entrusting
her own son, Nanda, to the care of the nurses.

Great were the rejoicings of the people over the birth
of this illustrious prince. An ascetic of high spiritual attainments, named
Asita (also known as Kaladevala), was particularly pleased to hear
this happy news. Being a tutor of the King, he visited the palace to see
the Royal baby. The King, who felt honoured by his unexpected visit, carried
the child up to him in order to make the child pay him due reverence. To
the surprise of all, the child's legs turned and rested on the matted locks
of the ascetic. Instantly, the ascetic rose from his seat and, foreseeing
with his supernormal vision the child's future greatness, saluted him with
clasped hands. The Royal father did likewise.

The great ascetic smiled at first and then was sad. Questioned
regarding his mingled feelings, he answered that he smiled because the
prince would eventually become a Buddha, an Enlightened One, and he was
sad because he would not be able to benefit from the superior wisdom of
the Enlightened One owing to his prior death and rebirth in a Formless
Plane (Arupaloka).

Naming Ceremony

On the fifth day after the prince's
birth he was named Siddhattha which means "wish fulfilled".
His family name was Gotama.

In accordance with the ancient Indian custom, many learned
brahmins were invited to the palace for the naming ceremony. Amongst them
there were eight distinguished men. Examining the characteristic marks
of the child, seven of them raised two fingers each, indicative of two
alternative possibilities, that he would either become a Universal Monarch
or a Buddha. But the youngest, Kondanna, who excelled others in
wisdom, noticing the hair on the forehead turned to the right, raised only
one finger and convincingly declared that the prince would definitely retire
from the world and become a Buddha.

Ploughing Festival

A very remarkable incident took place
in his childhood. It was an unprecedented spiritual experience which, later,
during his search after truth, served as a key to his Enlightenment.

To promote agriculture, the King arranged for a ploughing
festival. It was indeed a festive occasion for all. Both nobles and commoners
participated in the ceremony in their best attires. On the appointed day,
the King, accompanied by his courtiers, went to the field, taking with
him the young prince and his nurses. Placing the child on a screened and
canopied couch under the cool shade of a solitary rose-apple tree to be
watched by the nurses, the King participated in the ploughing festival.
When the festival was at its height of gaiety, the nurses too stole away
from the prince's presence to catch a glimpse of the wonderful spectacle.

In striking contrast to the mirth and merriment of the
festival, it was all calm and quiet under the rose-apple tree. All the
conditions conducive to quiet meditation were there. The pensive child,
young in years but old in wisdom, sat cross-legged and seized the opportunity
to commence that all-important practice of intent concentration on the
breath - on exhalations and inhalations. Then and there, this gained him
the one-pointedness of mind known as Samadhi. He thus developed the First
Jhana (Ecstasy). The child's nurses, who had abandoned their precious
charge to enjoy themselves at the festival, suddenly realized their duty.
They hastened to the child and were amazed to see him sitting cross-legged
plunged in deep meditation. The King hearing of it, hurried to the spot
and, seeing the child in meditative posture, saluted him, saying-- "This,
dear child, is my second obeisance".

Education

As a Royal child, Prince Siddhattha
must have received a royal education, although no details are given about
it. As a scion of the warrior race he also received special training in
the art of warfare.

Married Life

At the early age of sixteen, he married
his beautiful cousin of equal age, Princess Yasodhara. For nearly
thirteen years, after his happy marriage, he led a luxurious life, blissfully
ignorant of the vicissitudes of life outside the palace gates. Of his luxurious
life as prince, he states:

"I was delicate, excessively delicate. In my
father's dwelling three lotus-ponds were made purposely for me. Blue lotuses
bloomed in one, red in another, and white in another. I used no sandal-wood
that was not of Kasi. My turban, tunic, dress and cloak, were all from
Kasi.""Night and day a white parasol was held over me so that
I might not be touched by heat or cold, dust, leaves or dew."

"There were three palaces built for me -- one for the
cold season, one for the hot season, and one for the rainy season. During
the four rainy months, I lived in the palace for the rainy season without
ever coming down from it, entertained all the while by female musicians.
Just as, in the houses of others, food from the husks of rice together
with sour gruel is given to the slaves and workmen, even so, in my father's
dwelling food with rice and meat was given to the slaves and workmen."

With the march of time, truth gradually dawned upon him.
His contemplative nature and boundless compassion did not permit him to
spend his time in the mere enjoyment of the fleeting pleasures of the Royal
palace. He knew no personal grief but he felt a deep pity for suffering
humanity. Amidst comfort and prosperity, he realized the universality of
sorrow.

Renunciation

Prince Siddhattha reflected thus:

"Why do I, being subject to birth, decay,
disease, death, sorrow and impurities, thus search after things of like
nature. How, if I, who am subject to things of such nature, realize their
disadvantages and seek after the unattained unsurpassed, perfect security
which is Nibbana!" "Cramped and confined is household life, a den of dust,
but the life of the homeless one is as the open air of heaven! Hard is
it for him who bides at home to live out as it should be lived the Holy
Life in all its perfection, in all its purity."

One glorious day as he went out of the palace to the pleasure
park to see the world outside, he came in direct contact with the stark
realities of life. Within the narrow confines of the palace he saw only
the rosy side of life, but the dark side, the common lot of mankind, was
purposely veiled from him. What was previously conceived only mentally,
he now saw in vivid reality for the first time. On his way to the park
his observant eyes met the strange sights of a decrepit old man, a diseased
person, a corpse and a dignified hermit. The first three sights convincingly
proved to him, the inexorable nature of life, and the universal ailment
of humanity. The fourth signified the means to overcome the ills of life
and to attain calm and peace. These four unexpected sights served to increase
the urge in him to loathe and renounce the world.

Realizing the worthlessness of sensual pleasures, so highly
prized by the worldling, and appreciating the value of renunciation in
which the wise seek delight, he decided to leave the world in search of
Truth and Eternal Peace.

When this final decision was taken after much deliberation,
the news of the birth of a son was conveyed to him while he was about to
leave the park. Contrary to expectations, he was not overjoyed, but regarded
his first and only offspring as an impediment. An ordinary father would
have welcomed the joyful tidings, but Prince Siddhattha, the extraordinary
father as he was, exclaimed -- "An impediment (rahu) has been born; a fetter
has arisen". The infant son was accordingly named Rahula by his
grandfather.

The palace was no longer a congenial place to the contemplative
Prince Siddhattha. Neither his charming young wife nor his lovable infant
son could deter him from altering the decision he had taken to renounce
the world. He was destined to play an infinitely more important and beneficial
role than a dutiful husband and father, or even as a king of kings. The
allurements of the palace were no more cherished objects of delight to
him. Time was ripe to depart.

He ordered his favourite charioteer Channa to saddle
the horse Kanthaka, and went to the suite of apartments occupied by the
princess. Opening the door of the chamber, he stood on the threshold and
cast his dispassionate glance on the wife and child who were fast asleep.
Great was his compassion for the two dear ones at this parting moment.
Greater was his compassion for suffering humanity. He was not worried about
the future worldly happiness and comfort of the mother and child as they
had everything in abundance and were well protected. It was not that he
loved them the less, but that he loved humanity more.

Leaving all behind, he stole away with a light heart from
the palace at midnight, and rode into the dark, attended only by his loyal
charioteer. Alone and penniless he set out in search of Truth and Peace.
Thus did he renounce the world. It was not the renunciation of an old man
who has had his fill of worldly life. It was not the renunciation of a
poor man who had nothing to leave behind. It was the renunciation of a
prince in the full bloom of youth and in the plenitude of wealth and prosperity
-- a renunciation unparalleled in history.

It was in his twenty-ninth year that Prince Siddhattha
made this historic journey.

He journeyed far and, crossing the river Anoma,
rested on its banks. Here he shaved his hair and beard and handing over
his garments and ornaments to Channa with instructions to return to the
palace, assumed the simple yellow garb of an ascetic and led a life of
voluntary poverty.

The ascetic Siddhattha, who once lived in the lap of luxury,
now became a penniless wanderer, living on what little the charitably-minded
gave of their own accord.

He had no permanent abode. A shady tree or a lonely cave
sheltered him by day or night. Bare-footed and bare-headed, he walked in
the scorching sun and in the piercing cold. With no possessions to call
his own, but a bowl to collect his food and robes just sufficient to cover
the body, he concentrated all his energies on the quest of Truth.

Search for Truth

Thus as a wanderer, a seeker after what
is good, searching for the unsurpassed Peace, he approached Alara Kalama,
a distinguished ascetic, and said: "I desire, friend Kalama to lead the
Holy Life in this Dispensation of yours." Thereupon Alara Kalama told him:
"You may stay with me, O Venerable One. Of such sort is this teaching that
an intelligent man before long may realize by his own intuitive wisdom
his master's doctrine, and abide in the attainment thereof."

Before long, he learnt his doctrine, but it brought him
no realization of the highest Truth.

Then there came to him the thought: When Alara Kalama
declared: "Having myself realized by intuitive knowledge the doctrine,
I -- 'abide in the attainment thereof --, it could not have been a mere
profession of faith; surely Alara Kalama lives having understood and perceived
this doctrine."

So he went to him and said "How far, friend Kalama, does
this doctrine extend which you yourself have with intuitive wisdom realized
and attained?"

Upon this Alara Kalama made known to him the Realm of
Nothingness (Akincannayatana), an advanced stage of Concentration.

Then it occurred to him: "Not only in Alara Kalama are
to be found faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. I too
possess these virtues. How now if I strive to realize that doctrine whereof
Alara Kalama says that he himself has realized and abides in the attainment
thereof!"

So, before long, he realized by his own intuitive wisdom
that doctrine and attained to that state, but it brought him no realization
of the highest Truth. Then he approached Alara Kalama and said; "Is this
the full extent, friend Kalama, of this doctrine of which you say that
you yourself have realized by your wisdom and abide in the attainment thereof?

"But I also, friend, have realized thus far in this doctrine,
and abide in the attainment thereof."

The unenvious teacher was delighted to hear of the success
of his distinguished pupil. He honoured him by placing him on a perfect
level with himself and admiringly said:

"Happy, friend, are we, extremely happy; in that we look
upon such a venerable fellow-ascetic like you! That same doctrine which
I have realized by my wisdom and proclaim, having attained thereunto, you
have realized by your wisdom and abide in the attainment thereof; .....
Thus the doctrine which I know, you know too; ..... As I am, so are you;
as you are, so am I. Come, friend, let both of us lead the company of ascetics."

The ascetic Gotama was not satisfied with a discipline
and a doctrine which only led to a high degree of mental concentration,
but did not lead to "disgust, detachment, cessation (of suffering), tranquillity;
intuition, enlightenment, and Nibbana." Nor was he anxious to lead a company
of ascetics even with the co-operation of another generous teacher of equal
spiritual attainment, without first perfecting himself. It was, he felt,
a case of the blind leading the blind. Dissatisfied with his teaching,
he politely took his leave from him.

In those happy days when there were no political disturbances,
the intellectuals of India were preoccupied with the study and exposition
of some religious system or other. All facilities were provided for those
more spiritually inclined to lead holy lives in solitude in accordance
with their temperaments, hence most of these teachers had large followings
of disciples. It was not difficult for the ascetic Gotama to find another
religious teacher who was more competent than the former.

On this occasion he approached one Uddaha Ramaputta
and expressed his desire to lead the Holy Life in his Dispensation. He
was readily admitted as a pupil.

Before long the intelligent ascetic Gotama, mastered his
doctrine and attained the final stage of mental concentration, the Realm
of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception (N'eva Sanna N'asannayatana),
revealed by his teacher. This was the highest stage in worldly concentration
when consciousness becomes so subtle and refined that it cannot be said
that a consciousness either exists or not. Ancient Indian sages could not
proceed further in spiritual development.

The noble teacher was delighted to hear of the success
of his illustrious royal pupil. Unlike his former teacher the present one
honoured him by inviting him to take full charge of all the disciples as
their teacher. He said: "Happy friend, are we; yea, extremely happy, in
that we see such a venerable fellow-ascetic as you. The doctrine which
Rama knew, you know; the doctrine which you know, Rama knew. As was Rama
so are you; as you are, so was Rama. Come, friend, henceforth you shall
lead this company of ascetics."

Still he felt that his quest of the highest Truth was
not achieved. He had gained complete mastery of his mind, but his ultimate
goal was far ahead. He was seeking for the Highest, the Nibbana, the complete
cessation of suffering, the total eradication of all forms of craving.
"Dissatisfied with this doctrine too, he departed thence, content therewith
no longer."

He realized that his spiritual aspirations were far higher
than those under whom he chose to learn. He realized that there was none
capable enough to teach him what he yearned for -- the highest Truth. He
also realized that the highest Truth is to be found within oneself and
ceased to seek external aid.